SILVERTON, Ore. – An elderly Silverton man was injured and flown by helicopter to the hospital Thursday morning after he was struck by a car as he tried to cross the highway in Silverton aided by a walker, Oregon State Police reported.

Martin Nelson, 79, was injured about 6:30 a.m., April 3, as he tried to cross Highway 214 west to east using his walker. The accident occured about ¼ mile west of the Hobard Road intersection, near a McDonald’s restaurant, a news release stated.

41-year old Michael King of Silverton was traveling north in a 2000 Ford Escort, and while he swerved in an attempt to miss Nelson, his vehicle’s side mirror struck the elderly man and knocked him to the pavement, OSP said.

King immediately stopped to assist Nelson, the news release said, and then local fire and emergency personnel arrived and began medical treatment. Nelson was flown by LifeFlight helicopter to Oregon Health Sciences University for treatment of reportedly non-life threatening injuries.

There is no crosswalk at the accident scene, troopers said, adding that the highway is three lanes, one northbound, one southbound, and a center continuous left turn lane.

The investigation is continuing, and no citations have been issued, the news release stated.